Personal Finance.

The Case For Hunting Lost Property

Diamonds, Stocks Are Among The Rewards For Those Tracking Down Unclaimed Assets In State Repositories

March 02, 1995|By Andrew Leckey.

Now where did that $8 billion go, anyway?

That's the amount of unclaimed property sitting in state-administered repositories because individual Americans have simply lost sight of their valuables.

They move, forget to give new addresses, overlook deposits or refunds and simply can't remember what precious items they have. In many of these cases, the individual dies and the heirs haven't a clue as to where many keepsakes and investments are stashed.

After a set period in which holdings remain abandoned, typically three to five years as designated by each state's statutes, the state assumes ownership of unclaimed accounts.

Unclaimed property is returned to the state of the property owner's last known address, or, if no owner address is associated with the property, to the state in which the business holding the property is located.

The state then tries to locate the owners, generally through newspaper advertisements that include the last-known names and addresses. Besides financial instruments, checks and cash, there's a mind-boggling treasure trove of items that go unclaimed and wind up in the state's coffers.

For example, a huge four-carat diamond ring set in platinum sold for $28,200 at a Texas state treasurer's auction four years ago.

It's amazing what some people have inadvertently left in the state's hands.

"We have held an unusual trunk since 1980 that is filled with silver, china and crystal from the late 1800s, along with two authentic letters written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow," said Ruth White, director of Virginia's Division of Unclaimed Property. "Our usual procedure, however, is to hold an item for one year after we have published the owner's name."

Besides the states, there are private firms that track down owners of dormant investments in exchange for a hefty percentage of the windfall. Take your time, however, since you may be able to find the unclaimed assets yourself without having to share the take.

"If you've ever been contacted by anyone who says he or she knows of some property that's owed you, the very first thing to do is call the unclaimed property department of your state," advised Patty White, past president of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), which represents all states except New York.

In fact, contact any state that might be holding something for you. In nearly all of the states, you can reclaim your property no matter how many years have passed.

Give your name and all former names, Social Security number and all addresses from when you lived in the state. You'll be given an abandoned property claim form if you're owed some money. Return the form with current identification and a document that ties you to the property. To apply for money held in someone else's name, you must establish clear title, such as through a will that makes you beneficiary, or you'll likely need a lawyer.

"Of course, what you really need to do with all of your assets to begin with is keep a complete list of them," advised White, who is also director of Colorado's Unclaimed Property Division.

(To contact the national organization directly, write to NAUPA, 2501 Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, Okla. 73194-0010. Its current president is Randall Ross, who is also the director of the business tax division of the State of Oklahoma.)

Notify a family member or trusted adviser about where your records and financial assets are located, so that those assets can be found and won't be turned over to the state.

At the federal level, it's estimated that nearly $20 billion goes unclaimed in items such as Treasury securities and Social Security benefits. Unlike the states, Uncle Sam makes no attempt to find the owners, so you'd better be sure of exactly what you're owed.

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Andrew Leckey, whose book "The 20 Hottest Investments for the 21st Century" (Contemporary Books, Chicago) was recently released, appears Sunday in Business and Monday and Thursday in Your Money.